USACE Galveston completes Brownsville Ship Channel dredging, plans to remove clay from beach

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX, UNITED STATES

03.11.2011

Story by Isidro Reyna 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, has completed dredging of the Brownsville Ship Channel. The Corps is scheduled to next dredge the Port Mansfield Channel to fulfill its mission of keeping waterways open for navigation.

“During dredging of the Brownsville Ship Channel, clay was encountered as part of the dredged material,” said Alicia Rea, a project operations manager with USACE Galveston District. “Residents and visitors should not be alarmed by the presence of ‘clay balls’ on Isla Blanca Park, as a contractor will return to the project site to remove the clay balls from the beach. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to beachgoers.”

According to Rea, the clay will need to dry sufficiently in order to facilitate the process.

“In coordination with the county, we anticipate removing the clay balls from the beach after the busy spring break week, as to not impact visitors with construction activity and create a construction safety hazard,” said Carolyn Murphy, chief of the USACE Galveston’s Environmental Section.

According to Rea, the entire beach renourishment is approximately one mile long, with the affected clay ball area encompassing less than one percent of the entire beach renourishment project.

The Corps awarded the contract Dec. 8 to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company to dredge the Brownsville Ship Channel in Cameron County, Texas. The Texas General Land Office and City of South Padre Island partnered to contribute in a non-federal cost share initiative to renourish approximately one mile of beach using beach-quality sand harvested from the dredging process.

• Date Taken: 03.11.2011
• Date Posted: 03.11.2011 18:17
• Story ID: 66892
• Location: SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX, US